[For Seniors] Exciting! Ball-Based Recreation

Ball Large-Circle Exercise

[Gymnastics with a Ball ⑦] Large Swing Exercise – A Workout You Can Do at Home

Here’s a ball exercise that makes overhead movements in daily life easier.

It can help with activities like getting dressed or washing your body in the bath.

Hold a ball and rotate it near your face in the direction that feels easiest.

As you do this, raise your opposite arm so it becomes horizontal.

Of course, if raising your arm is difficult, you can keep it as it is.

Try switching the direction of the rotation, and alternate the hand that rotates the ball between right and left.

It’s an easy exercise to do, so give it a try!

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Nakajima Junko

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ball throwing exercise

[Gymnastics with a Ball 9] Ball Throwing Exercise — A Workout You Can Do at Home

As we get older, our agility is said to gradually decline.

It’s important for older adults to maintain their agility as well.

For example, you might slip while walking down the street.

In such moments, being able to move quickly could help prevent injuries.

With that in mind, here’s a recommended exercise to train agility: while seated, toss a ball overhead and catch it.

While the ball is in the air, add a clap.

Gradually increase the number of claps.

Will older adults be able to catch the ball successfully? It’s an activity that seems enjoyable and approachable for older adults, too.

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Nakajima Junko

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Ball hip rotation exercise

[Gymnastics with a Ball ⑥] Hip Rotation Exercise – A Workout You Can Do at Home

As we age, muscle mass decreases, making us more prone to chronic stiff shoulders.

It’s also said that shoulder stiffness can put strain on the lower back and lead to back pain.

So let’s loosen the shoulders and arms with an exercise that circles a ball around the waist.

Releasing muscle tension can help improve shoulder stiffness.

While seated, hold a ball and pass it around your waist at about waist height for one full circle.

Do this five times in each direction, and once you’re used to it, widen your arms to make larger circles.

If you don’t have a ball, you can use a towel instead.

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Nakajima Junko

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Ball exercises to the rhythm

[Senior Exercise] Rhythmic Exercises Using a Ball [Preventive Care]

We’d like to introduce “ball exercises to the rhythm,” which help you move your body with a steady beat, expand your shoulder and arm range of motion, and gently raise your heart rate.

Start with a simple move: hold the ball with both hands and extend it straight out in front of you.

As you shift it rhythmically from side to side and add elbow bends and extensions, your body will gradually loosen up.

Finally, increase the variety of movements and move your whole body in time with the rhythm, which can also help stimulate brain activity.

You can start easily with a ball from a 100-yen shop, making this a fun, refreshing exercise routine.

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kojifumi

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Full-body cold prevention exercises

Burn! A full-body cold-prevention exercise using marching and a ball [Cognicise for older adults]

When blood circulation worsens, your body tends to get cold more easily.

So this time, we’ll introduce a “whole-body cold-prevention exercise” using a ball that you can do while sitting in a chair.

First, keep marching your feet to a rhythm and add the motion of lifting a ball held with both hands up and diagonally up.

Next, while marching, extend one foot forward and simultaneously thrust the ball forward.

By coordinating the ball-thrusting with your leg movements, you promote hand–foot coordination, which helps activate the brain.

It’s a simple exercise you can do without strain that not only improves whole-body chilliness but also helps prevent dementia and maintain muscle strength.

Highly recommended.

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kojifumi

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Posture-correcting ball exercises

Posture Alignment!! Ball Exercise [MIHO’s Easy Chair-Seated Workout]

Here’s a recommended idea for those concerned about a hunched back or body sway: “Posture-Aligning Ball Exercises.” First, place a ball between your knees and slowly tilt your pelvis forward and backward.

Engaging your inner thighs and abdominal muscles helps stabilize the pelvis, naturally lengthening your spine and improving posture.

Next, sit shallowly on a chair with your feet flat on the floor, and move the ball up and down with your feet; this stimulates the core and muscles around the hips, enhancing balance.

Furthermore, if you keep the ball between your legs and alternately lift your legs, it helps strengthen the abdominal and thigh muscles.

All movements are slow and low-impact, and with consistency, you can expect improvements in posture.

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Fun brain-activating exercises to the rhythm of stepping

[Supervised by a Certified Health Fitness Instructor] Brain-Activating Exercises You Can Do in Care Settings! Enjoyable Stepping-to-the-Rhythm Workout – Part 2

If you want to enjoy brain-activating exercises with a marching rhythm, ball exercises are recommended.

First, repeatedly extend the ball forward with one hand while lifting the opposite leg, alternating sides.

Once you get used to it, change the direction from forward to upward, coordinating your hands and feet in the same way.

Finally, match the rhythm by extending the hand opposite the lifted leg forward, forward, up, up—two times each.

This exercise requires changes in tempo and hand-foot coordination, providing strong stimulation to the brain and helping maintain concentration and reflexes.

It can be done while seated, making it easy for older adults to adopt, and it’s convenient to start with just a single ball from a 100-yen shop.

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